Girl and Greyhounds; La Joie de Vivre; Wardle, Arthur (1864-1949)
Image courtesy PicturesNOW!
The Basic Profile
Or
When that
"basic profile" comes back from the lab, what can it tell you? The highlights in greyhounds are:
The CBC
The CBC
(complete blood count) tells how many of each kind of blood cell is circulating.
RBCs (red blood cells) contribute to the HCT or PCV (hematocrit or packed cell
volume = the concentration of red blood cells in the sample). Hgb is the amount
of hemoglobin in the RBCs. These numbers are normally high in greyhounds, low in
anemia. MCV, MCH, and MCHC are calculations derived from RBC, PCV, and Hgb.
The WBC
(white blood cell) count is a total of the different kinds of WBCs in the sample
- segmented neutrophils, bands, lymphocytes, monocytes, and eosinophils. The
breakdown of WBCs is called the differential (diff) and by its makeup can
indicate a normal dog or possible infection/inflammation. The "diff"
gives the doctor clues to what process or disease might be causing an abnormal
WBC. WBCs can normally run low in greyhounds.
Platelets
are the last component of the CBC. Platelets are the blood cells that form a
"platelet plug" to stop the bleeding when you cut your finger.
Greyhounds can run under or on the low end of normal platelet counts.
The Chem Panel
The lab
uses serum (what is left of whole blood once the cells are removed) to determine
approximately 20 "blood chemistries." There are many other tests that
can be run on serum. Most "chem panels" include:
Total
Protein =
the sum total of Albumin + Globulin
Albumin
- a protein
made in the liver
- can be
lost through damaged kidneys or intestines
Globulin
- a protein
produced in response to antigenic stimulation
- increased
in chronic infections and some cancers
BUN –
blood urea nitrogen
- increased
in dehydration or kidney disease
- decreased
in liver disease
Creatinine -
also increased in kidney disease
- another measure of kidney function less affected by dehydration than BUN
-
normally higher in
greyhounds than other dogs
ALT
(SGPT) -
alanine transferase
- released
from damaged liver cells
AST
(SGOT) -
aspartate transferase
- increased
in liver damage, muscle damage (including intramuscular injections), or
hemolysis (breakdown of RBCs). The hemolysis can be as simple as from a
difficult blood draw.
ALKP (SAP) -
serum alkaline phosphatase
- increased
with liver disease, Cushings, steroids, some cancers & infections. Normally
high in young, growing dogs.
T. Bili -
total bilirubin
- pigment
increased in liver disease or hemolysis which causes dog, serum, and/or urine to
turn yellow (jaundice = icterus)
CPK -
creatine phosphokinase
- enzyme
released from damaged skeletal & heart muscle
Amylase
- digestive
enzyme increased in pancreatitis, intestinal disease, or kidney failure
Lipase
- digestive
enzyme which is more specific for pancreatitis
Cholesterol
- rises after eating or from pancreatitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, or glomerulonephritis.
-
doesn't clog arteries in dogs.
Glucose -
"blood sugar"
- rises in
diabetes, pancreatitis, seizures, or severe near-death type stress
- decreased
in sepsis, insulinoma tumor, baby pups who don't eat often enough, but most
often from sample sitting around too long before centrifuging
Calcium
- increased
in lymphoma & other cancers
- decreased
in kidney failure, post-whelping seizures, & hypoparathyroidism
Phosphorus
- increased
in kidney failure
The
electrolytes TCO2, Cl-, K+, & Na+ show a wide variety of derangements in
different diseases.
TCO2 -
total carbon dioxide
Cl -
chloride
K+ -
potassium
Na+ -
sodium
Lastly are
4 calculations:
A/G ratio -
albumin/globulin ratio
- albumin
should predominate over globulin in the normal dog
B/C ratio -
BUN/creatinine ratio
- helps
distinguish dehydration from true kidney failure
Na/K ratio -
sodium/potassium ratio
- screens
for Addison's disease
Anion gap =
(Na + K) - (Cl + bicarbonate)
- reflects
acid/base status
There are
many other less important or more obscure possibilities for elevations and
decreases in these parameters that were omitted for space and clarity. Many
values are only something to worry about if they're either elevated or
decreased, but not necessarily both. These are the basics.